Means for uniform packaging of mixtures



Nov. 14, 1939. A. c. AVRIL MEANS FOR UNIFORM PACKAGING OF MIXTURES FiledOct. 28, 1936 INVENTOR. ArffiarCflv/V/ BY ATTORNEYS... I l

Patented Nov. 14, 1939 NITED STATES IMEANS FOR PATENT OFFICE 2,179,435UNIFORM PACKAGING or mxrunns 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a means for the uniform packaging of mixtures,with the ultimate object of producing identical packages of thoroughlymixed and accurately measured ingredients or constituents.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for thepurpose stated, whereby a succession of packages are duplicatedconsistently, with the high degree of accuracy that is necessary ordesirable in connection with certain mixtures or combinations ofmaterials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, effective, andreliable combination of means for handling, processing, storing, mixing,and packaging materials in the manner stated, as a continuous productionoperation, and with a substantial saving of time, effort, and operatingexpense.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and efiectivecontrolmeans for feeding materials to be weighed or measured, and forthoroughly mixing and releasing them to the packaging station of theapparatus.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a mixed perspective and elevational view of the apparatusembodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram and detail view showing a control means forweighing or measuring one ingredient of a mixture to be produced in theapparatus of Fig. 1, parts being broken away in the interest of clarityof disclosure.

In the blending, mixing, and packaging of certain products orsubstances, it is often necessary, or at least desirable, that thecompleted packages or mixture units be very substantial duplicates ofone another, especially as to the proportions of the variousconstituents. This requirement is particularly applicable to theblending' and packaging of concrete or cement constituents in the drystate, as well as to the blending and packaging of grain, seed, orcereals, feeds of various kinds including food products, ores, minerals,fertilizers, and the like. By means of the present invention, theblending and packaging operation can be performed accurately on a largescale, and with a minimum of labor and expense.

In the description which follows, the invention will be treated in itsapplication tothe handling of ingredients for the production of units ofdry concrete or cement mixes. Such treatment will not only beconvenient, but also sufliciently comprehensive to sumce for a fullunderstanding of the more simple application of the invention in thehandling of the other substances and products above mentioned.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, 5 the characters 4, 5 and 6indicate a plurality of storage bins for the constituents of a concreteor cement mix, these being generally sand and one or more grades ofgravel or stone. Adjacent to the bins, there may be provided a platformor 10 ramp 1 upon which trucks may travel for dumping the constituentsinto the bins. Each bin may be provided with any suitable type of gate,preferably at the open bottom of the bin, such gates being indicatedconventionally by the characters 8. The gates are adaptedto beactuatedeither by power or by hand manipulation, to release the contents of abin onto a combination conveyor and elevator 9I0. The conveyor may be ofany approved type, for example, one of the bucket type which includesmeans at the top of the elevating or vertical run, for releasing thematerial carried thereon.

The material elevated by the conveyor [0 is released into a chute I 2which feeds a drier indicated generally at l3. The drier, like the con-25 veyor, may be of any approved and accepted construction, for example,it may comprise a rotary inclined drum I 4 having an inner cylinder l5which is heated to drying temperature by means of a suitable heatgenerator or burner l6 having associated therewith a blower I! or othersource of air or gas under pressure. Flame or heat generated by theburner is forced through the cylindrical tube l5, and passes from theopen end 48 thereof, to be returned toward the burner and in- 35 to thestack l9, through the space between the tube l5 and the cylindrical wallof the inclined rotary drum. A baflle or deflector plate directs theflame or heat of combustion toward the stack opening. 2| of the drier.Rotary movement of the drier shell or body may be effected by means of amotor 22 and suitable power transmission elements 23. The lower end 24of the drier drum is open, so that materials fed to the drier by way ofthe chute l2, may pass the baflle 20 and be deposited in a chute 25which feeds the material to an elevator 26.

Materials from the storage bins, after having been treated in the drierl3, are carried upwardly by the elevator 26 and released into adistributor which comprises a gravity, type conveyor or conduit 2'! towhich is connected, by means of a suitable rotary coupling arrangement28, a swivel spout indicated by the character 29. The swivel spout isadapted, upon being rotated, about the rotary ,coupling, to registerwith any one of a number of elevated hoppers 30, 3|, 32 and 33, for thepurpose of charging the hopperswith the different kinds of substances oringredients taken from the storage bins 4, 5 and 5. The number ofelevated hoppers to be employed corresponds, preferably. to the numberof different kinds of ingredients that are needed to constitute adesired ultimate mix. For example, in the case illustrated, hopper 33may be reserved for Portland cement or the like, while hopper 3| isadapted to contain sand. Hoppers 32 and 33 would ordinarily contain twodiiferent grades of aggregate, which may be gravel or crushed stone oftwo desired grades or sizes. should be understood that storage bin 4,for example, containing sand, may be caused to release the sand onto theconveyor and elevator 3-40 which feeds it to the drier and thence to theelevator 23, and under the circumstances, the swivel spout 23 would bemoved to register with the hopper for sand, indicated at 3|. Should thestorage bins 5 and 3 contain two different grades of gravel or stone,the spout would be moved to one or the other of the elevated hoppers 32or 33, as determined by the release of gravel from either of the storagebins 5 or 5. When cement is to be conveyed to the hopper 30, forreplenishing the supply therein, it may be fed to the conveyor through achute or hopper 34 of the elevator 23, while the swivel spout 23registers with the cement hopper 33. From the foregoing, it will beunderstood that each hopper of the group of elevated hoppers 33 to 33inclusive, may be supplied selectively with the required constituents ofthe mixture to be produced.

Associated with each elevated hopper of the group 30 to 33 inclusive, isa means controllable from a suitable station 35, for releasing ameasured portion of each hopper content into a mixing chamber 35. Themixing chamber may be in the nature of a funnel-shaped hopper whichincludes a pair of opposed inclined baille plates 31 and 33 having inneredges 33 and 40, respectively, the 'edge 43 overhanging the edge 33 ofbaflie 31. Beneath the baffles is positioned a secondary baille ordividing element 4i which may be of inverted V-shaped configuration, andhaving outer edges 42 and 43 spaced from the adjacent side walls of thefunnel-shaped member so that material gravitating from the elevatedhoppers and onto the first set of baille plates, will be intimatelymixed by the action of the bailies which compel the particles to take acircuitous course and finally release the material into the lowerportion of mixing chamber 34, where they enter a filler spout 44. Thefiller spout may be a length of flexible conduit or rubber hose of suchdimensions as toinsure easy insertion of its lower end into a container45. The container 45 preferably is a paper bag which has a reinforcedupper portion 45 that may be closed tightly to preclude leakage of thecontents when stacked or transported.

In accordance with the present embodiment, a charge of materials fromthe elevated hoppers is directed into the container 45 while thecontainer rests upon a suitable carriage or conveyor 41. When thecontainer is filled, the operator merely removes the flexible fillerspout 44 from the mouth of the container, and shifts the carriage orconveyor 41 along the track or guide 48, thereby to subject the openupper portion of the container to a sewing operation performed by anyapproved type of sewing machine 43. The sew- From the foregoing, it'

ing machine preferably is provided with an electrical switch suitablywired for controlling the motor.5l oi the sewing machine and so arrangedthat theswitch will be closed automatically by movement of the bagtoward the sewing needle 52,whereupon the sewing machine isautomatically started and stopped by the action of the container or bag45 moving past the switch and needle. The sewing machine is mounted upona suitable support 53 and properly located to accommodate the upper endof the bag or container 45 as it is conveyed by the carriage 41 alongthe track or guide means 43. After passing the sewing machine, thecompleted package is lifted from the carriage and stored or shipped, asdesired. The bag filling operation may be repeated indefinitely,following the succession of steps above recited;

1n the preceding paragraph it was mentioned that the different materialsof the elevated hoppers 30 to 33 inclusive, are weighed prior todischarge thereof into the mixing chamber 35. The weighing operation andalso the discharge of weighed quantities of materials from said hoppers,are controlled by an operator located at the station 36, the operatorhaving also as his duty the advancing of the bag or container 45 fromthe position of Fig. 1, to a position past the sewing machine. Thus, theoperator may eifect the weighing and discharging action of the apparatusafter he has placed a bag or container 45 in proper position forreceiving the charge from the mixing chamber. One form of weighing anddischarging mechanism, together with the control means therefor, isillustrated in Fig. 2, wherein 33 indicates one of the hoppers, and 54indicates a tiltable or dischargeable scale pan for receiving materialfrom the hopper 33. Above the bottom 55 of the scale pan is positioned avibratory distributor 55 which may be in the nature of a flat platespaced a limited distance from the mouth 51 of the hopper, so that whenthe plate is at rest, it will-serve to prevent a flow of material fromthe hopper mouth and into the scale pan. Upon vibrating the plate ordistributor 58, however, the material from the hopper is shaken from theplate and flows over the edges thereof and into the scale pancontinuously as the hopper mouth feeds the material onto the middleportion of the plate or distributor. To provide the necessaryvibratory'movement, a standard well known form of vibrator 53 isassociated with the plate or distributor 56. The vibrator preferably iselectrically actuated, and electrical current is supplied theretothrough the conductors 59 and 60. The distributor or plate may bemaintained in proper spaced relationship to the mouth of the hopper inany suitable manner, such as by means of a bracket 6i mounted upon astationary supporting structure, or upon the hopper itself.

The scale pan is pivotally supported as at 62 upon the balance arm orbeam 63 of a weighing scale 64, so that, by energizing a solenoid 65 orother electromagnetic motive means, the scale pan will be tilted aboutthe pivot 62 to discharge the contents from the mouth 66 thereof. Themovable armature of the solenoid is indicated at 61, and is adapted toenter the hollow core of the solenoid when an electrical circuit iscompleted therethrough. The solenoid is energized by the closing of thenormally open electrical switch 83 at the operator's station. Thus, thedischarge of weighed material from the scale pan 54 is under the controlthe operator. The wires connecting a,17o,4ss

the switch with the solenoid are indicated at I!- and Iii.

Thecharacter N indicates a second switch at the operators station, to beclosed for vibrating the distributor 56 when it is desired to charge thescale pan with material from the hopper 33. This switch is normally heldopen .by a spring II, but upon being depressed to close the electricalcircuit of the vibrator 5!,a solenoid 'I3is energized to hold the switchin the closed position, against the force of spring 12, until thevibrator circuit is opened. The opening of said circuit is accomplishedby means of an electrical contactor or switch it associated with thescale beam or an equivalent movable part of the scale or hopper, so thatwhen the required charge is present in the scale pan, the contactor 14will complete a circuit which includes the conductors l5 and I6, and thewinding of a solenoid T! which acts upon the solenoid armature to openan electrical switch it in the circuit of the vibrator and solenoid 13.The opening of switch 18 of course de-energizes the solenoid 13, ofswitch it, and permits the spring M2 to act for opening the contacts ofswitch ii. Thus, the charging of the scale pan with a measured quantityof material from hopper 33 automatically effects a disabling of thevibrator and cuts ofi the feed of material from the hop per into thescale pan. The hopper having been charged, it may be tilted or relievedof its contents at the will of the operator, by closing the switch W asstated. The characters and Bi indicate, respectively, the fulcrum andthe balance weight of the weighing scale ti.

It is to be understood that each of the four weighing scales indicatedat St of Fig. l is equipped and associated with a scale pan structuresuch as is disclosed in Fig. 2, and that the electrical control means ofFig. 2 is duplicated in each scale charging and release mechanism ofeach elevated hopper, and wired in parallel so that actuation of thepush buttons 68 and H effect unitary or simultaneous function of thecharging, weighing and releasing apparatus of each elevated hopper.

It is to be understood that numerous conceivable methods of control arepossible for securing the performance of the function of the elementsdisclosed herein for charging the scale pans and effecting the releaseof their contents into the mixing chamber, so that the particular meansdisclosed and described is to be considered exemplary only, and not aslimiting the invention to the exact means employed. Moreover, it isconceivable also that for handling materials which do not requiredrying, the combination of Fig. 1 may be modified by omitting entirelythe drier I 3. Further, in certain installations it may be possible todispense with the elevator it and to extend the conveyor 9 directly tothe receiving hopper 25 of the elevator 26, or to the top portion of thechute or conduit 21!. The present structure, however, is typical andconvenient for use in a building having a main floor for supporting thedrier, elevator 26, and sewing mechanism 49, while the group of elevatedhoppers, the mixing chamber, and the swivel spout arrangement aresupported upon a superstructure of the building. The ramp or platform Iand the bins associated therewith may be located exteriorly of thebuilding, if desired, although these elements may be located within thebuilding when the circumstances permit.

One of the outstanding advantages of the apparatus of the invention, isthat of securing a thorough mixing and a very accurate proportioning ofthe ingredients or constituents of the mix. I Such a result isimpossible when a large batch of mix is produced and packages madetherefrom by removing weighed or measured portions from such batch. Thereason for failure to secure uniformity in the individual packages underthe conditions just mentioned, is that the ingredients or constituentsare generally of different areas and specific gravities, so that one ormore constituents would segregate from the mix as the packagingoperation proceeds. In accordance with the present invention, however,every mixture unit is individually produced by combining individuallymeasured or weighed portions of the several ingredients or constituents,with the result that all of the packages are uniform as to weight andproportions of the mix constituents. In the case of preparing individualdry mixes, for concrete, as exemplarily disclosed herein, it is possibleto guarantee the contents of every individual package to produce aspecified strength of concrete when mixed with a specified amount ofwater. In addition, the vicinity of the operators station may be keptclean and free of dust, thereby enhancing the efficiency, the appearanceand working conditions about the plant. The objects at the beginning ofthe description may be referred to for a statement of additionaladvantages.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for proportioning and intimately mixing materials, thecombination of a plurality of material supply hoppers each including ascale pan having a discharge exit, said hoppers being arranged in spacedopposition to one another with the scale pan exits projecting toward asubstantially central common point, and a funnel shaped mixing chamberhaving a plurality of triangular side walls Joined along correspondingedges to provide adjacent corners and an upper peripheral edge ofextensive perimeter, said corners each being located beneath a scale panso that each scale pan overhangs a corner of the mixing chamber, a pairof opposed inclined baflle plates having inner edges, one overlappingthe other, and extending substantially through the middle of the mixingchamber in substantial parallelism with a side wall thereof, said platesintercepting charges of materials released from the scale pans, a secondset of baiiles located beneath the bafile plates aforesaid, andcomprising a pair of walls arranged in inverted V shape, with the lineof intersection of the walls disposed transversely to the overlappingedges of the opposed inclined baflie plates, a filler spout at theconvergent lower ends of the mixing chamber walls, and means at thefiller spout for initiating a feed of materials from the supply hoppersin unison, whereby to charge the scale pans with the materials of thehoppers, and means for discharging the contents of the scale panssimultaneously adjacent to the corners of the mixing chamber whereby toincrease the turbulence of the materials falling gigong the meeting sidewalls of the mixing cham- 2. In a mechanism for proportioning andintimately mixing materials, the combination of a plurality of materialsupply hoppers each including a scale pan having a discharge exit, saidhoppers being arranged in spaced opposition to one another with thescale pan exists projecting toward a substantially central common point,and funnel-shaped mixing chamber having a pluralconvergent lower ends01' the mixing chamber walls, and means at the filler spout forinitiating a feed of materials from the supply hoppers, whereby tocharge the scale pans with the materials oi the hoppers, and means fordischarging the contents of the scale pans simultaneously ad- Jacent tothe corners of the mixing chamber whereby to increase the turbulence ofthe materials falling along the meeting side walls oi the mixingchamber.

ARTHUR C. AVRIL.

